Printing mechanism for fluid meters



Feb. 9, 1965 H..GOY ETAL 3,168,981

PRINTING MECHANISM FOR FLUID METERS .Filed July 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet1 fly-1 Feb. 9, 1965 H. GOY ETAL 3,168,981

PRINTING MECHANISM FOR FLUID METERS Filed July 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2fly 2a F/y. 26

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United States Patent 4 Claims. (a. 235-58 This invention relates toapparatus for controlling the printing Wheels associated with a printingmechanism for registering the'measured values in connection with a fluidmeter and is particularly concerned with a printing mechanism,comprising printing wheels cooperatively associated with number wheels,operatively controlled by a measuring device, and having a furtherprinting wheel serving for the printing of fractional measuring valueslying between full number values set at a printing Wheel cooperativelyassociated with the most rapidly rotating number wheel, namely, theunits number wheel.

In known printing mechanisms of this kind, the further (fractions-)printing wheel is driven over a gear from the units number wheel whichis continuously driven under the control of the measuring device, whilethe printing wheel assigned to the units number wheel is, for obtaininga setting corresponding to that of the associated number wheel, actuatedunder the control of the fractions printing Wheel. Accordingly, forexample, in a deca/dic subdivision of the measuring values, thefractions printing Wheel will be rotated with ten-times the speed ofrotation of the continuously driven units number wheel. Since eachprinting wheel of the next higher decade is set under control of thepreceding printing wheel, the stepping of the printing wheels of higherdecades will be effected with ten times the speed of rotation of theunits number wheel, and it follows, therefore, that the measuring devicemust produce great torque which in turn affects its measuring accuracy.

In order to avoid this drawback, it has already been proposed to providea mechanism wherein the units number wheel is effective to continuouslydrive the printing Wheel assigned thereto and also to drive the furtherfractions-printing wheel.

In order to further reduce the driving power required, the printingmechanism according to the present invention is constructed so that theunits number wheel is operative to drive continuously the printing wheelrespectively assigned thereto and also an initially idling auxiliarymechanism which is adapted to indicate the positionfull number orfractionassumed by the units number wheel. In the event that the unitsnumber wheel has assumed a fraction position, the auxiliary mechanismis, by a force which is applied after the setting of the number Wheelmechanism and determining the printing operation, rotated back by anangle corresponding to the fraction position with respect to thepreceding full number position, thereby also effecting appropriatesetting of the printing wheel assigned to the respective number wheeland adjustment of the further fraction-printing wheel, which isoperatively coupled to the auxiliary mechanism, in accordance with theamount of the return motion of the auxiliary mechanism.

Details of the invention will now be explained with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a printing mechanism for a fluid meterwith decadic subdivision of the measuring values;

FIGS. 2a and 2b show details to aid in explaining the operation of theauxiliary device; and

FIGS. 3a, 311 show further details concerning the opera tion of theauxiliary device.

3,168,981 Patented Feb. 9, 1965 Referring now to FIG. 1, a fluid meter(not shown) drives the spur gear A to effect continuous rotation of theunits number wheel Z which is the number wheel rotating at highestspeed. This units number Wheel rotates the intermediate drive T, idlingupon a hollow shaft W and comprising a toothed detent or locking gear Swhich is over a spring F coupled with the intermediate wheels ZR therebyrotating such intermediate gear, the latter meshing with the drive Twhich is free of the units number wheel Z and rotating the drive T instep with the units number wheel, the drive T being in turn effective toadvance by one step the switch-over drive U and the tens number wheel ZThe remaining not illustrated number wheels of higher decadie order areadvanced in similar and well known manner. One

a of the intermediate wheels 2R which are keyed to the hollow shaft Wdrives the units printing Wheel D which is assigned for cooperation withthe units number wheel Z thereby advancing this printing wheel Dcorrespondingly. The tens printing Wheel D is advanced by the action ofthe intermediate wheels ZR which are rotated incident to the advancerotation of the tens number wheel Z10.

The hollow shaft W is taken along by the rotation of the intermediatewheels ZR and the auxiliary device M M is thus with an as yet idlingmotion continuously driven (just as the'units number printing wheel Dunder control of the units number wheel Z The gear ratio for advancingthe auxiliary mechanism Ni -M is such that it rotates with a speedamounting to 2.5 times the speed of the units number wheel Z As shown inFIGS. 3a and 3b, the part M of the auxiliary device is made in the formof a star wheel provided with four teeth. Accordingly, an advance of thestar wheel by one tooth corresponds to an advance of the units numberwheel Z from one full number position to the next or to the runningthrough ten fraction positions. The position assumed by star wheel Mafter the setting of the number wheel mechanism, accordingly indicatesthe positionfull number of fractional number position-which had beenassumed by the units number wheel Z In the example illustrated in FIG.1, the units number wheel Z has assumed a fractional position lyingbetween the full number positions 9 and 0, thus marking, apart from thepositions of the number wheels of higher decades, the units value 9.4which has now to be printed. A force is now applied, in the illustratedembodiment manually, to rotate the lever H shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, inthe direction indicated by the arrow 1. This effects over intermediategear wheels a rotation of the shaft W, thereby pressing the member St(FIG. 3a) against the flank of a tooth of the star Wheel M of theauxiliary device and angularly rotating it to the position shown. inFIG. 3b. The auxiliary device M M which is in this manner rotated back,is held in this position by the member St which acts as a stop orlocking member.

The back or return rotation of the auxiliary device also affects by theaction of the intermediate wheels ZR the units number printing Wheel Dwhich is rotated back from its intermediate position between 9 and 0 tothe position 9. The units number wheel Z is held in its 9.4 position bythe detent lever SpH (FIGS. 3a, 3b) which is pressed into the lockingwheel Sp by the action of the cam N (FIGS. 3a and 3b) such cam beingcarried by the shaft W. The part M of the auxiliary device is coupledwith the fraction number printing wheel D over the friction wheel R andthe drive TD, such coupling being eifected by the coupling lever KH(FIGS. 3a, 3b) which is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow.The fraction number printing wheel D is incident to the return rotationof the auxiliary device M M rotated by four steps (four fraction linesof the units number wheel 2,) thus effecting, through suitable means,not illustrated the printing of the measured value 9.4 by the printingwheels D and D Since the units number wheel Z is locked in the 9.4position assumed thereby, the measured value thus indicated can beeasily checked against and compared with the value actually printed.

The number wheels and printing wheels are rotated to normal positionresponsive to rotating the lever H (FIGS. 2a, 2b) in the direction ofthe arrow 2, the restoration of the respective wheels to the zeroposition being thereby etlected in known manner which does not form partof the invention. The fraction number printing wheei D is restored tonormal by the force applied by the spring F Changes may be made withinthe scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what isbelieved to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling the printing wheels of a printing mechanismassociated with a measuring device, said apparatus having numberindicating wheels including a units number indicating wheel, which aredriven by the measuring device, and having number printing wheelscooperating with the respective number indicating wheels, and having afurther fractions-printing wheel for cooperation with the units numberindicating wheel, a rotatable auxiliary device selectively operativelyconnecting said units number indicating wheel with saidfractionsprinting wheel, means driven by said units number indicatingwheel for steadily advancing the units number printing wheel cooperatingtherewith and for coincidently actuating said auxiliary device which isoperative in initially idling motion to assume a position correspondingto the respective full number or fraction number position assumed bysaid units number indicating wheel, and means independently operable, inthe event that the units number indicating wheel has been set to afraction value, for operably connecting said auxiliary device to saidfractions-printing wheel and for actuating said auxiliary device inreverse order of operation by an amount corresponding to the differencebetween the fractional position of the units number indicating wheel andthe last attained full number thereof, thereby coincidently resettingthe respective units number printing wheel to the full number attainedlast by the units number indicating wheel and simultaneously setting thefractions printing wheel in accordance with the fraction number attainedby the units number indicating wheel, whereby said printing wheels areset for printing the measured units and fractions thereof.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotatableauxiliary device comprises a toothed wheel provided with a number ofteeth corresponding to the ratio between the number oi. fractions at theunits number indicating wheel and the gear ratio which determines thespeed of revolution of the auxiliary device.

3. A control apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a membercooperating with said toothed wheel, for effecting said reverseoperation of said auxiliary device and for locking it in its reversedposition.

4. A control apparatus according to claim 1, comprising intermediategear means, drive means for resiliently coupling said units numberindicating wheel with said gear means, said gear means driving the unitsnumber printing wheel, and a locking device for holding the units numberindicating wheel in its attained position during the resetting of theunits number printing wheel.

References titted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,073,162 Malcher Mar. 9, 1937 2,456,101 Yeasting Dec. 14, 19482,524,299 Sutherland Oct. 3, 1950 2,714,050 Germann July 26, 19553,017,086 Harker et al. Jan. 16, 1962

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE PRINTING WHEELS OF A PRINTING MECHANISMASSOCIATED WITH A MEASURING DEVICE, SAID APPARATUS HAVING NUMBERINDICATING WHEELS INCLUDING A UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL, WHICH AREDRIVEN BY THE MEASURING DEVICE, AND HAVING NUMBER PRINTING WHEELSCOOPERATING WITH THE RESPECTIVE NUMBER INDICATING WHEELS, AND HAVING AFURTHER FRACTIONS-PRINTING WHEEL FOR COOPERATION WITH THE UNITS NUMBERINDICATING WHEEL, A ROTATABLE AUXILIARY DEVICE SELECTIVELY OPERATIVELYCONNECTING SAID UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL WITH SAIDFRACTIONSPRINTING WHEEL, MEANS DRIVEN BY SAID UNITS NUMBER INDICATINGWHEEL FOR STEADILY ADVANCING THE UNITS NUMBER PRINTING WHEEL COOPERATINGTHEREWITH AND FOR COINCIDENTLY ACTUATING SAID AUXILIARY DEVICE WHICH ISOPERATIVE IN INITIALLY IDLING MOTION TO ASSUME A POSITION CORRESPONDINGTO THE RESPECTIVE FULL NUMBER OR FRACTION NUMBER POSITION ASSUMED BYSAID UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL, AND MEANS INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE, INTHE EVENT THAT THE UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL HAS BEEN SET TO AFRACTION VALUE, FOR OPERABLY CONNECTING SAID AUXILIARY DEVICE TO SAIDFRACTIONS-PRINTING WHEEL AND FOR ACTUATING SAID AUXILIARY DEVICE INREVEARSE ORDER OF OPERATION BY AN AMOUNT CORRESPONDING TO THE DIFFERENCEBETWEEN THE FRACTIONAL POSITION OF THE UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL ANDTHE LAST ATTAINED FUL NUMBER THEREOF, THEREBY COINCIDENTLY RESETTING THERESPECTIVE UNITS NUMBER PRINTING WHEEL TO THE FULL NUMBER ATTAINED LASTBY THE UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SETTING THEFRACTION NUMBER ATTAINED BY THE ACCORDANCE WITH THE FRACTION NUMBERATTAINED BY THE UNITS NUMBER INDICATING WHEEL, WHEREBY SAID PRINTINGWHEELS ARE SET FOR PRINTING THE MEASURED UNITS AND FRACTIONS THEREOF